ESPN screwing us again (1 Viewer)

[force fan]

At this point, it looks like we're going to get the entire show. What would you people like ESPN to do - cut away from a live NASCAR race? -

YESSSSSSS!!!!!!!

 

[Matt]

I was at the Sooner Nationals so I rely on TiVo to get me to the othere races...it picked up two different showings of yesterday's qualifying...BOTH recordings were cut short by the Nascar races....if I lose more than 20 minutes, I just delete...so I did it twice this time!

 

[.]

I used to set my Tivo to start 1 minute early and stop 1.5 hours later than the scheduled ending; last year they had a race (I don't remember which one) that was almost 2 hours late in starting on ESPN2; now I set my Tivo to stop 3 hours after the scheduled ending. Sure you usually get several hours of extra recording, but it beats missing it and/or having to deal with the hassle of figuring out when it will be on and then manually programming it.

 

[ramblerjay]

you guys who crucify us for "moaning" or "crying" must be the ones that complain about our government but don't vote. if you enjoy nhra getting bumped all the time and not catching all the action at the right time on your dvr, then fine. if not, do like i did and send them an email. sure it might not make things change, but the more they hear about it, the more they may take a look and see how frequently the nhra slot gets "smashed into" by the preceding program. it always makes me laugh when the nhra program gets started late due to a prior program and then they cut away from it before it's done because something else comes on. whats good for the goose must not be good for the gander.

as a side note, its bad enough the broadcast is starting at 10 (er 1040), let alone the preceding program is once again making nhra basically unwatchable to most of the nation.

 

[The Counterfeiter]

you guys who crucify us for "moaning" or "crying" must be the ones that complain about our government but don't vote. if you enjoy nhra getting bumped all the time and not catching all the action at the right time on your dvr, then fine. if not, do like i did and send them an email. sure it might not make things change, but the more they hear about it, the more they may take a look and see how frequently the nhra slot gets "smashed into" by the preceding program. it always makes me laugh when the nhra program gets started late due to a prior program and then they cut away from it before it's done because something else comes on. whats good for the goose must not be good for the gander.

as a side note, its bad enough the broadcast is starting at 10 (er 1040), let alone the preceding program is once again making nhra basically unwatchable to most of the nation.

Jason - I am 60 and was probably voting in every possible election before you were born. FYI - ESPN has a policy of not cutting away from live programs to air a recorded program. Tonight's delay was caused by the finals of the College World Series - a big event for baseball fans (who outnumber drag racing fans by a HUGE margin).
If you have a problem with this, you should probably contact NHRA for an explanation of why they don''t PAY more to get drag racing in better time slots. Face facts and be grateful that we get same day results - you probably don't remember paying to call the Castrol 900 number!

 

[turbo ken]

I think the NHRA paid espn 50 cents for the tv package.

 

[JAG]

Jason - I am 60 and was probably voting in every possible election before you were born. FYI - ESPN has a policy of not cutting away from live programs to air a recorded program. Tonight's delay was caused by the finals of the College World Series - a big event for baseball fans (who outnumber drag racing fans by a HUGE margin).
If you have a problem with this, you should probably contact NHRA for an explanation of why they don''t PAY more to get drag racing in better time slots. Face facts and be grateful that we get same day results - you probably don't remember paying to call the Castrol 900 number!

I would agree but, it's not just College baseball or Toilet bowl racing. Last year it was Rock, Paper Sissors. However, I do notice they do cut NHRA short for other shows. I have written everytime, and get the same canned answer. I still write to complain though.

 

[Matt]

....you probably don't remember paying to call the Castrol 900 number!

I do, I do!!!

Heck, I remember being happy as a lark reading about a race three to six months later in DRUSA, Popular Hot Rodding, Car Craft, Hot Rod or if really lucky, on Wide World of Sports! Of course if I could I would get my hands on a copy of Drag News! It gave me time to build a Revell or Monogram model of the car that won the race and then the magazine would arrive about the time for detailing and decal placement....

 

[The Counterfeiter]

I do, I do!!!

Heck, I remember being happy as a lark reading about a race three to six months later in DRUSA, Popular Hot Rodding, Car Craft, Hot Rod or if really lucky, on Wide World of Sports! Of course if I could I would get my hands on a copy of Drag News! It gave me time to build a Revell or Monogram model of the car that won the race and then the magazine would arrive about the time for detailing and decal placement....

Wow - great memories Matt! Went to my first drag race at Lakeland Raceway in Memphis 48 years ago. I'd have to guess that we will soon have 100 years of enjoying drag racing between us!!! -

 

[Bob]

Given the number of non-mainstream spectator sports covered on the Deuce (like bicycle MX, billiards, poker, bowling, spelling bees, eating contests), I have to wonder how many of these "sports" actually pay for coverage on ESPN.

It appears that some folks think they (ESPN) are doing us a favor by covering our sport at all. I strongly disagree. Pointing to the Wide World of Sports coverage back in the 70's is giving them an excuse to do whatever they please. It's a "give me anything and I should be happy" mentality, and that sucks.

If the coverage is being paid for, the broadcast times should be guaranteed. It is a taped program, so they know how long it will take. If they need to move the broadcasts around between ESPN and ESPN2, do it. They should be able to structure the schedule between their multiple channels to do so, and do so well in advance of the events.

 

[Von Halen]

as a side note, its bad enough the broadcast is starting at 10 (er 1040), let alone the preceding program is once again making nhra basically unwatchable to most of the nation.

I agree Jason. It's now 1:30 am, and it's still not over. I have to be up at 5:00. If I weren't doing some reports tonight, I wouldn't be watching.

 

["Dr. Dirt"]

I sure didn't have a problem with letting them finish up the college world series. I'm not much of a baseball fan however, I could watch the throw from left field to the cut-off man then relayed home to get the runner at the plate twenty times in a row. That was a major league play if ever there was one. We stayed up and enjoyed a great race thereafter. Late but well worth it.

 

[DLB]

I sure didn't have a problem with letting them finish up the college world series. I'm not much of a baseball fan however, I could watch the throw from left field to the cut-off man then relayed home to get the runner at the plate twenty times in a row. That was a major league play if ever there was one. We stayed up and enjoyed a great race thereafter. Late but well worth it.

Bobby - I agree with that. Those guys deserved their TV time. However - the thirty minutes of interviews afterwards should have been condensed as much as possible (IMO) and them showing the "dogpile" and the media taking pictures of them, the losers dugout, etc.

All while there is what Evan has already said - paying advertisers waiting to be seen in line.

Between that and the interviewing choices that the ESPN crew chooses, I told my wife last night as we laid in bed and watched the show, "It's no wonder sponsors won't pick up these people. If you aren't a Force, a champion, or winning every round, your chances of getting your sponsor seen isn't too good. (E.G. Robert takes out Ashley first round, they interview both - yes, good for the sport, large fan base there, etc. - but Jim Yates is about to lose his sponsor, how much TV time does he get? Not ranting, no point in it, but like some of you, just some things to think about.

Heck, I just enjoy getting to see what I do when I do. The DVR catches enough for me to get a fix usually. When it don't - I just get over it. There'll be other races. Take a trip to Mexico during race season and you remember how overly blessed you are.

DLB

 

[Von Halen]

I like baseball, and don't really have a problem with the delay last night. That was for the Championship.

When we get delayed because of some women's pool tournament, now that kinda pisses me off.

Can you imagine a Neckcar race being shown on tape delay from 11:00 pm to 2:00 in the morning?

We have got to figure out how to get this stuff shown live. Even if they just did the semi-finals and the finals live.....

 

[BlueStangGT]

I sure didn't have a problem with letting them finish up the college world series. I'm not much of a baseball fan however, I could watch the throw from left field to the cut-off man then relayed home to get the runner at the plate twenty times in a row. That was a major league play if ever there was one. We stayed up and enjoyed a great race thereafter. Late but well worth it.

I couldn't possibly have stated it any better, Doc. That was a serious big-league play!

 

[Bobby]

the only thing that matters here is that the race wasn't on when it should have been. Until we get a real schedule that matters, the top fuel points leader will continue to run with a plain white car.

 

[Buddy]

We have got to figure out how to get this stuff shown live. Even if they just did the semi-finals and the finals live.....

I can't envision NHRA ever being live for more than just the finals (and even thats risky on time)... if they were to do that they would have to show all the finals (ALL the sportsman finals) to pass the time until the pros come back... I don't think thats a bad idea as sportsman racers don't get a lot of coverage as it is... I think it would be refreshing to see the final round of the super classes and such...

CJ Curtsinger

 

[Kelly]

I see a definite market here for CRYING TOWELS !!
Some towels with the NITROMATER logo on them.........

Holy crap! You owe me one HELLUVA screen cleaning!

 

[DragFan2]

If the coverage is being paid for, the broadcast times should be guaranteed. It is a taped program, so they know how long it will take. If they need to move the broadcasts around between ESPN and ESPN2, do it. They should be able to structure the schedule between their multiple channels to do so, and do so well in advance of the events.

Bob, on this I agree. I don't see the point of ESPN/ESPN2 planning to air an event that they are actually being PAID TO AIR by NHRA and then bump it for as much as an hour due to a preceding LIVE broadcast of something. I agree that the baseball game was for the championship last night, and you never know how long a baseball game will run, so why didn't they realize this well in advance and just plan to telecast the NHRA race at 11:00pm rather than 10:00pm when there was a very good chance it would not start at the scheduled time. When the races start at 10:00pm or later on the East Coast, I don't stay up late and watch them anyway, I just set up a VCR or now a DVR to record them, but I hate having to skip through up to an hour of a previous show to get to the one I actually wanted to record, and then I also have to plan to record at least an hour longer than scheduled to catch the end of the race.

Yeah I know, wah wah wah...get over it, and I can live with this just like many others stated, but it still isn't RIGHT, and ESPN will hear from me and hopefully many other fans.

 

[jackass]

back to what is worth more....

10 years ago i worked in the College sportswear industry.... College sports..all forms... with TV, apearal and advertising combined. Was worth a billion plus in revenue..... wonder how much it is up to now....

Most if not all the other odd ball shows ESPN does. eating contest..lawn mower racing etc. are paid to be filmed by sponsors.. and then given to ESPN for filler programs for when they have open air time....in exchange for a couple advertisments durng the airing of the show... weither its 10am, 3pm or 2am.... kind of like the NHRA's 30 min wreck fest show that airs once in a blue moon...

BIlly